Caladium plant named ‘Creamsickle’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Caladium  plant named ‘Creamsickle’, characterized by its upright plant habit; tall plant size; uniform plant habit; vigorous and dense growth habit; fancy-type leaves with greyed green-colored venation, greyed green and greyed purple-colored interveinal areas interspersed with dark-green sectors and surrounded by dark green-colored borders; and good landscape performance.

Botanical designation: Caladium×hortulanum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘CREAMSICKLE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Caladium plant, botanically known as Caladium×hortulanum, commercially referred to as a fancy leaf-type Caladium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Creamsickle’.

The objective of the Inventor's breeding program is to create new Caladium plants that have uniform plant habit, exceptional container and garden performance and attractive foliage coloration.

The new Caladium plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor on Apr. 15, 2007, in Avon Park, Fla. of Caladium×hortulanum ‘Aaron’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Caladium×hortulanum ‘Twist N' Shout’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Caladium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Zolfo Springs, Fla. on Sep. 15, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Caladium plant by ‘chipping’ the tubers (cutting the tuber into segments each segment containing an axillary bud and tuber cortical tissue) in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Lake Placid, Fla. since Apr. 15, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Caladium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Caladium have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Creamsickle’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Creamsickle’ as a new and distinct Caladium plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit; tall plant size.     -   2. Uniform plant habit.     -   3. Vigorous and dense growth habit.     -   4. Fancy-type leaves with greyed green-colored venation, greyed         green and greyed purple-colored interveinal areas interspersed         with dark-green sectors and surrounded by dark green-colored         borders.     -   5. Good landscape performance.

Plants of the new Caladium differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Aaron’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caladium are taller than plants of ‘Aaron’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caladium grow faster than plants of         ‘Aaron’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the Caladium are more undulating than         leaves of plants of ‘Aaron’.     -   4. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Aaron’ differ in leaf         coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Aaron’ have white-colored         venation and radiating interveinal areas surrounded with         green-colored margins.

Plants of the new Caladium differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Twist N' Shout’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caladium are taller than plants of ‘Twist         N' Shout’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caladium grow faster than plants of ‘Twist         N’ Shout'.     -   3. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Twist N' Shout’ differ in         leaf coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Twist N' Shout’ have red         orange-colored venation and interveinal areas with narrow         green-colored margins.

Plants of the new Caladium can be compared to plants of Caladium ‘Roselight’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Avon Park, Fla., plants of the new Caladium differed primarily from plants of ‘Roselight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caladium were taller than plants of         ‘Roselight’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caladium grew faster than plants of         ‘Roselight’.     -   3. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Roselight’ differed in leaf         coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Roselight’ were medium green         in color with variable coalescing rose pink spots and blotches         and green-colored venation and borders.

Plants of the new Caladium can also be compared to plants of Caladium ‘Carolyn Whorton’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Avon Park, Fla., plants of the new Caladium differed primarily from plants of ‘Carolyn Whorton’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Caladium were taller than plants of         ‘Carolyn Whorton’.     -   2. Plants of the new Caladium grew faster than plants of         ‘Carolyn Whorton’.     -   3. Plants of the new Caladium and ‘Carolyn Whorton’ differed in         leaf coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Carolyn Whorton’ had         deep rose red-colored venation with pink-colored blotches and         green-colored borders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Caladium plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Caladium plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Creamsickle’ grown in a 15-cm container in a shadehouse.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a side perspective view of typical plants of ‘Creamsickle’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical freshly-harvested tubers and roots of ‘Creamsickle’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a comparison view of typical plants of ‘Creamsickle’ grown in 15-cm containers, the plant on the right has not had its tuber de-eyed and the plant on the left has had its tuber de-eyed prior to planting.

The photograph at the top of the fourth sheet is a comparison view of typical potted plants of the female parent, ‘Aaron’ (left), ‘Creamsickle’ (center) and the male parent, ‘Twist N' Shout’ (right).

The photograph at the bottom of the fourth sheet is a comparison view of typical potted plants of ‘Roselight’ (left), ‘Creamsickle’ (center) and ‘Carolyn Whorton’ (right).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15-cm containers in Avon Park, Fla. in a polypropylene-covered shadehouse (30% shade) and plants grown during the autumn in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Zolfo Springs, Fla. All plants were grown under environmental conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial shadehouse and outdoor nursery Caladium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 29° C. to 33° C. (shadehouse) or 29° C. to 35° C. (outdoor nursery), night temperatures ranged from about 22° C. to 25° C. (shadehouse) or 23° C. to 26° C. (outdoor nursery) and light levels were about 8,000 foot-candles (shadehouse) or 10,000 to 12,000 foot-candles (outdoor nursery). Plants grown in the shadehouse were six weeks old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. Plants grown in the outdoor nursery were seven months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Caladium×hortulanum ‘Creamsickle’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Caladium×hortulanum ‘Aaron’, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Caladium×hortulanum ‘Twist N'             Shout’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By “chipping” the tubers.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven to ten days at             32° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two to three weeks at             24° C.         -   Tuber description (outdoor nursery-grown             plants).—Appearance: Multi-segmented; individual segments             elliptic in shape. Height: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About             5.6 cm. Texture: Thick and starchy; somewhat brittle. Color:             Epidermis, freshly harvested, more brown than 199A to 199B             and N199B; epidermis, dried tuber, close to 200A to 200B;             interior, close to 155D; axillary buds, close to 155B. Root             description: Thick, fleshy contractile roots; color, close             to 155C. Rooting habit: Few lateral branches; moderately             dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial; suitable as a potted plant             in containers 15-cm to 25-cm and suitable as a landscape             plant in shaded areas.         -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright plant habit; tall plant             size; inverted triangle; vigorous and dense growth habit;             rapid growth rate; petioles and leaves arise from one or             more growing points on tubers; petioles mostly upright and             leaning outwardly with development.         -   Plant height, from soil level to top of foliar plane,             shadehouse-grown potted plants.—About 41 cm to 49 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread, shadehouse-grown potted             plants.—About 43 cm to 50 cm.         -   Number of clumps per plant, shadehouse-grown potted             plants.—About four to six from de-eyed tubers.         -   Cataphylls, shadehouse-grown potted plants.—Length: About 8             cm to 17 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm to 2 cm. Shape: Deltoid to             ligulate. Apex: Acute to emarginate. Base: Sheathing the             stem. Color, outer surface: Close to 147C to 147D variably             stippled and tessellated with close to 147A to 147B and             faintly tinged with close to 199A; with development, color             becoming closer to 199A stained with close to N186C. Color,             inner surface: Close to 195B streaked and stippled with             close to 147B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Length, shadehouse-grown potted plants.—About 16 cm to 23             cm.         -   Width, shadehouse-grown potted plants (flattened).—About             12.5 cm to 16.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate to acute.         -   Base.—Sagittate, peltate.         -   Margin.—Entire; broad undulations.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous; glaucous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color, shadehouse-grown potted plants.—Developing leaves,             upper surface: Basal notch: Close to 187A. Midrib and             primary veins: Close to 192D. Areas surrounding the primary             venation: Close to 53A to 53B. Interveinal areas: Close to             53A to 53B, 183B and close to 192D; random sectors and             spots, close to 147A and 192D. Borders and margins: Close to             147A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Basal notch: Close             to 187A. Midrib and primary veins: Close to 147C to 147D.             Areas surrounding the primary venation: Close to 187B to             187C. Interveinal areas: Close to 191A, close to 191A tinged             with close to 177C to 177D, close to 177C tinged with close             to 183D and close to 155C. Borders and margins: Close to             147A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Basal notch:             Close to 187A. Midrib: Close to 191D. Primary venation:             Close to 191D, and close to 191D flecked and streaked with             close to 147A. Areas surrounding the primary venation: Close             to 192D. Interveinal areas: Random sectors and splotches,             close to 185B, 185A and darker than 147A. Borders and             margins: Close to 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Basal notch: Close to 187A. Midrib: Close to 147D.             Primary venation: Close to 147C and 147D. Areas surrounding             the primary venation: Close to 155C. Interveinal areas:             Close to 191A tinged with close to 171C, close to 191A,             close to 189A and close to lighter than 183D. Borders and             margins: Close to 191A and 189A.         -   Petiole.—Aspect: Mostly erect, slightly outwardly leaning             with development; flexible. Length, shadehouse-grown potted             plants: About 28.5 cm to 40 cm. Diameter, distal,             shadehouse-grown potted plants: About 3 mm to 4.5 mm.             Diameter, proximal, shadehouse-grown potted plants: About 8             mm to 11 mm. Color, shadehouse-grown potted plants: Close to             147C and 146C faintly tessellated with close to 147B; below             the leaf/petiole junction, close to 147C. Wing length,             shadehouse-grown potted plants: About 7 cm to 12 cm. Wing             diameter, shadehouse-grown potted plants: About 1 cm to             1.4 cm. Wing color, shadehouse-grown potted plants, outer             surface: Close to 147C to 147D variably stippled and             tessellated with close to 147A and 147B and faintly tinged             with close to 199A. Wing color, shadehouse-grown potted             plants, inner surface: Close to 195B streaked and stippled             with close to 147B. -   Inflorescence description: Inflorescence initiation and development     have not been observed on plants of the new Caladium. -   Disease & pest tolerance/resistance: Plants of the new Caladium have     been observed to have above average tolerance to Xanthomonas Leaf     Spot and average tolerance to Pythium Root Rot. Plants of the new     Caladium have not been observed to have resistance to pests and     other pathogens common to Caladium plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Caladium have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about 7° C. to about     40° C. and suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 8A to 11. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Caladium plant named ‘Creamsickle’ as illustrated and described. 